Clarkston keeps Bobcats at bay for district title

BY DAN STICKRADT

SENIOR EDITOR

dan.stickradt@northoaklandsports.com

ORTONVILLLE — A year ago, if Clarkston held a big lead, it would have likely crumbled under the pressure and succumbed at the end.

This year is a different story.

The Wolves built a 36-27 lead on Pontiac in the fourth quarter of Friday’s Class A district finals at Ortonville Brandon and held on for a thrilling 42-40 victory.

Clarkston will advance to Tuesday’s regional at Fenton, where the Wolves (17-5) will face Flint Northwestern (14-8) at 8 p.m.

“We built a decent lead and just hung on at the end,” offered a relieved Clarkston coach Tim Wasilk, whose team won its first district since the fall 2005 season. “We played through some serious foul trouble. I am proud of these girls for hanging in there. We had two girls foul out, two of our forwards, and we don’t have much size to begin with. But we played good defense and hung on in the end.”

Clarkston, which finished just 6-15 a year ago with a first-round postseason exit to Rochester Stoney Creek, has posted an 11-win improvement from a year ago. The Wolves have only lost one game since Jan. 1 and finished second in the rugged OAA Red Division.

Although Shareta Brown, a transfer from Pontiac, finished with a team-high 17 points, the Wolves’ defense held her to only one first-half field goal. Brown was 15-of-18 from the foul line for the Bobcats.

“We knew we had to contain her,” said Wasilk. “I thought our forwards did nice job collapsing on her. Of course, we did have foul trouble. “

Anna Manilla and Christina Jokisch both fouled out midway through the fourth quarter, forcing the Wolves to juggle their lineup.

Clarkston led by as many as nine early in the fourth quarter before Grand Blanc mounted one final comeback. The Wolves’ Lindsey Reppuhn hit a pair of free throws and Megan Hastings split two from free lunch in the final 30 seconds to hold the Bobcats at bay.

Hastings drilled a trio of three-pointers and scored a team-high 17 points. Reppuhn and Delany Kenny twined nine points each for Clarkston.

Destiny Stephens added 13 points for Grand Blanc (19-4).

“The girls did whatever it took to become a better team this season,” offered Wasilk. “We spent time in the weight room, we played in a touch summer league down in Detroit against a bunch of PSL teams, and we even played in a fall league down in Rochester. I think it has showed.

“It helps that we have two three-year players and a bunch of two-year players,” continued Wasilk. “We only lost one girl from our rotation and everybody else has matured, stepped up their games. Since December, we’ve won 16 of our last 17 ballgames and we’ve played in a bunch of close games. I think that helped us.”

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Tags: girls basketball, girls basketball districts

Category: Clarkston, High School, Prep Wraps